Anti-extradition group to target UAE

A group of businessmen has launched a campaign against a treaty they say could see people extradited to the United Arab Emirates.

They have formed a group called Australians for Extradition Justice and say ratification of the treaty now being considered by the government could result in people being sent from Australia and tried under Islamic Sharia law. Group spokesman Ian Willis said legislation establishing the treaty had already been sent to the Senate by the Rudd government.

"Prime Minister (Julia) Gillard has a fantastic opportunity to reverse Kevin Rudd's decision to table this regulation in the Senate," Mr Willis said.

"Australians for Extradition Justice believe that as a modern, progressive democracy, Australia should not have extradition treaties with countries that practise torture, or with countries which treat women as property. We believe that there is a need to review and modernise the Extradition Act in order to reset the balance between the rights of Australian citizens and Australia's treaty obligations to other countries such as the United Arab Emirates."

Mr Willis said Article 7 of the United Arab Emirates Constitution provided that Sharia law should be a main source of all legislation.

He said countries such as Britain, which had a functioning treaty with the UAE, had special safeguards in them to protect the rights of their citizens.

"In light of the current concerns, we believe that the Australian government should either be considering similar safeguards, or ruling out ratification of this treaty completely," Mr Willis said.

He said Amnesty International's 2008 report said the UAE legal system included incommunicado detention without charge, torture, imprisonment for criticism of the government, cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and abuse of migrant worker rights.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was asked about the implications if the treaty became law but referred inquiries to the Attorney-General's Department.